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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · chair · fan · charge · dip · kick · hide · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — a price
  7. chair — a leader
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — in football
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bass — low music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — in control
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com